Battery question

My maxx at 100% this is what ive done. OK so I have been texting nonstop. Viewed one YouTube video and browsed a few web pages. Now battery is at 70 percent. Its been only 2 hours off charger. Is this normal?

Premium Member

My maxx at 100% this is what ive done. OK so I have been texting nonstop. Viewed one YouTube video and browsed a few web pages. Now battery is at 70 percent. Its been only 2 hours off charger. Is this normal?

Click to expand...

First, you say it started at 100%. My question is was that 100% from a power off charge, or charged with power on?

Next, have you done a meter training (power off, charge to 100%, use to 10%, power off, charge to 100%)?

Just because the meter says 100%, doesn't mean it's charged to 100% of actual capacity. Since the battery capacity changes over time, the meter uses the charge cycles to determine what full and empty look like in order to give you more accurate readings. If the phone isn't pushed to the levels mentioned and in the order and method described, it may be using invalid data to indicate charge levels and it can be very inaccurate.

Also, if charged with power on, the phone may not reach a fully saturated 100% of capacity charge since the phone is using power while charging and that can confuse the meter, casing it to interior charging prematurely. It will show 100%, but could be far less in terms of capacity versus actual charge level. Then when you go to use it, since it's starting at let's say 85%, but shows 100%, by the time it's reached let's say 60% of true charge level, it can be showing 70% (15%/85%=30%, 100%-30%=70%). So even though you've only used 15% of the actual charge level, the phone thinks you've used 30%.

Finally, when you charge, once the phone reaches 100%, the charger cuts off to protect the battery from overcharge. If the power is off when charging, the battery will retain nearly 100% charge level for several hours, then slowly starts depleting normally. In 24 hours, it can lose about 10% of its original charge, even while not on. However if the phone is on, once the charge is interrupted, it will use power and even in a few hours it can deplete 3, 5, even 9% of the charge level just doing background syncs and such. Then you remove it from charge, see it says 100% and think you have a full battery. Truth is, it will show 100%, until it gets to 90%, so if the phone has used up 9% of the charge level the meter will still show 100%. Then you use it for a very short time, and suddenly it shows 90%. It hasn't lost 10% in that time since you removed it from charge, it's only lost 1%, but that's the next level for that indicator.

If it makes you feel better my phone has been off the charger for 3.5 hours and I charged it with the phone off and Im down to 80% and I didnt really use it. Made a phone call, checked facebook, and my email. I have about 50 minutes of on screen time.

Premium Member

Brad91, great battery life for one isn't great for another, just like usage patterns for one are not like another. I would recommend EVERYONE at least do a "Meter Training" before making assumptions about battery life. All too often the meter is telling you you're nearing discharge and and the battery still has power in reserve, or it's told you the battery is fully charged but in fact it's starting out only near-full (i.e. says it's 100%, when it's actually only 85%).

Just take 2 days and follow the training exercise;

At the next opportunity when you don't need the phone for the next 3 / 5.5 hours (RAZR / MAXX), power off the phone (press and hold Power, then select "Power off" from the menu).

Plug the phone into the Stock Motorola cable and charging block (it will boot into "Charge Only" mode)

Once large animated battery icon appears note the charge level in percentage. You want that number to hit 100% (no more than about 3 hours for the RAZR and 5.5 hours for the MAXX)

Unplug when fully charged to 100% (to check progress briefly tap the Volume up or down, 3 seconds later the large battery will appear, after 10 seconds it disappears).

Use until the battery level reaches 10% (used to be 15% but with ICS, the "Low battery" warning now pops up at 10%). Try to avoid going much below 10% in any case, and avoid 0% at essentially all costs.

Once the phone is discharged to 10%, repeat steps 1 through 4, and then use and charge normally from then on.

Perform this "Meter Training" about every 2 months for the RAZR, and every 2-3 months for the MAXX.

I have done battery training last week and this week. Still nothing to brag about. Right now 50% with 8 hours and 45 minutes of battery life and 2 hours 5 minutes of on screen time. Meter training has not worked for me. Did it the last two nights and no improvement